Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever front office could not have asked for a worse start to the season.
In the middle of a mediocre 5-5 start, the primary story surrounding the Fever keeps swinging between Clark’s on-court struggles and the franchise’s off-court dysfunction with its heavy-handed media strategy.
Why Bill Plaschke Criticized the Indiana Fever’s Handling of Caitlin Clark Report
Before a May 20 matchup against the Portland Fire, Clark was a late scratch and did not appear on the official injury report the previous day.
This sequence of events prompted the league to issue a formal warning to Indiana for violating league transparency protocols. Independent journalist Scott Agness reported the late scratch as part of a “strategic management plan,” but the Fever took issue with the phrasing and revoked his credentials.
This self-inflicted controversy comes at a time when the team is already buckling under early-season expectations.
Opponents have trapped Clark near half court and the resulting offensive dip is evident.
The mounting pressure is also showing, as Clark and head coach Stephanie White were spotted in a heated argument during a 100-84 loss to Portland on May 30.
SEE ALSO: ‘I’m Sick of Caitlin Clark’: Legendary Sportswriter Urges ‘Whiny’ Fever Superstar to ‘Grow Up’
A separate video of Clark ignoring a teammate’s high-five went viral during the loss to the New York Liberty earlier on Saturday.
While criticizing the Fever star for her on-court demeanor, Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plaschke took direct aim at the organization’s tactics.
“At the same time Clark was damaging her image, her Fever bosses came under fire for trying to protect that image by revoking the credentials of veteran Fever and Pacers beat reporter Scott Agness,” he wrote.
“The journalist’s crime?” Plaschke continued. “He dared to write what everyone already knew, that the Fever had instituted a ‘strategic management plan’ to limit Clark’s games in the wake of injuries that cost her most of last season.”
After Clark missed a major chunk of the 2025 season with various injuries, the Fever are understandably cautious with her this year. However, Plaschke took issue with the way the entire Clark injury-report fiasco was handled and slammed the lack of transparency.
“Just stop messing with your fans and give them ample notice on games Clark will miss. The reporter’s ban was an absurd overreaction by a team that is apparently being run by a kid,” he wrote.
“If every NBA beat writer who reported that their team utilized load management was banned, there would be no more NBA beat writers.”
“The WNBA wants to be celebrated as a major American sports league, yet continues to act like the media should treat it as a charity,” Plaschke said. “How dare you ask a tough question! How dare you level a fair criticism!”
Agness will continue covering the team through independent channels, maintaining the exact same standards he has upheld for over a decade.
On the other hand, sitting at the .500 mark following an 83-75 loss to the Liberty, the Fever and Clark will have to shift their focus away from the press row and start fixing the product on the floor before the season slips away entirely.
